Assessment of Environmental Quality Indices in the Cities of the Kura-Aras Lowland, Republic of Azerbaijan
More than 50% of the world’s population lives in cities that occupy only 3% of the Earth’s surface, while about 10% of the population of the Republic of Azerbaijan resides in cities covering 4% of the Kura-Aras plain. Since 30% of the republic’s population is concentrated in the capital, the populations of other cities are relatively small. Nevertheless, the population density in Shirvan, located within our study area, is twice as high as in Baku. Assessing the urban quality index is therefore an important issue for densely populated cities, and this research is devoted to that topic. The geographical conditions of the cities were analyzed using satellite imagery processed with Geographic Information Systems, while the ecological situation was examined through statistical methods. The findings demonstrate that the natural conditions of these cities significantly influence their socio-economic development. Their location at the intersection of major transport routes and along the banks of the country’s two largest rivers has played a decisive role in their growth and formation.
Copyright (c) 2026 Akademperiodyka Publishing House of NAS of Ukraine https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Typology of the Depression Morphosculptures of the Dry Steppe Subzone of Ukraine
The dry-steppe subzone of Ukraine is characterized by a pronounced distribution of closed depressions of exogenous origin—depression morphosculptures. The formation of such depressions is primarily due to the spread of loess and loess-loamy rocks, but other factors also play a role. Closed depressions are especially developed on the territory of the loess plateau in the Dnipro-Molochna interfluve and on the territory of the Left bank of the Lower Dnipro, including the territory of the Oleshkivskі Sands. The closed depressions of the dry steppe subzone of Ukraine have been studied for almost a hundred years, and a particular conceptual and terminological apparatus has already been formed regarding them, with attempts at classification and typification. However, not all types of depressions in this region are identifiable; accordingly, there is an urgent need for their proper identification and general typology. The author identified different types of depression based on many years of field research and through the analysis of departmental and published materials. The results of such activities were maps compiled by the author (geomorphological, halogeochemical, and landscape), published scientific articles, three monographs, and the author’s version of the typology of depressions with the corresponding conceptual and terminological apparatus. In the presented typology, depressions in the dry steppe subzone of Ukraine are classified into two types: padynas in loess-loam deposits transformed by gley processes and swales in sandy, spatially unstable, low-thickness loess-loamy deposits. In the circle of padynas, depending on the regions of the dry steppe subzone, 10 types of depressions are distinguished, and among the swales, 13 types of depressions. For each type of depression, definitions are provided, and specific examples of their spatial manifestation are presented.
Copyright (c) 2025 Akademperiodyka Publishing House of NAS of Ukraine https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Present State of Land Use and Anthropization in the Poliskyi Region
New model tools for geoinformation analysis of the anthropization of landscapes and physico-geographic taxa are proposed, including a unified categorical-classified scheme, a scale for quantifying such anthropization, and digital choropleths and quasi-spectra of land-use and/or land-cover systems. Using these tools and relevant spatial databases, a cause-and-effect analysis of the current state of land use and anthropization in the Poliskyi region was conducted. The best and worst physico-geographic areas and districts of the region have been identified. The conditionality of regional land-use effects is analyzed by estimating the relationship between areas and geoecologically favorable and unfavorable land-use systems. The results can be applied to regional environmental management schemes and projects to optimize them and implement effective ecological measures while accounting for the war’s environmental impacts.
Spatial Development of Regions of Ukraine: Methodology of Geohistorical Analysis
The purpose of the study is to demonstrate the potential of geohistorical and geocultural approaches for analyzing the spatial development of regions in Ukraine. In the modern context of geopolitics and geoeconomics, these approaches provide a basis for forming a new image of areas and their territorial structures, considering geographical, linguistic, cultural, and religious characteristics, as well as specific regional identity. The novelty of the study lies in its analysis of strategies for analyzing regional systems, the ratios of regional to national values, and the formation of regional identity through the use of geohistorical methodological concepts. It has been shown that, under conditions of awareness of their regions’ self-sufficiency and capacity for self-development, geocultural approaches are no less effective than geoeconomic ones, providing an understanding of the uniqueness of the country’s cultural space, regional personality types, and communication methods. In the context of modern transformations of globalization, geohistorical and geocultural approaches to the study of spatial specificity are gaining momentum and offer opportunities to develop cultural and mental models of space and to interpret territory as a sociocultural integrity with its own unique pace of development.
Strategizing Regional Development in the Shaping of the Post-War Economic Landscape of the Regions of Ukraine
The article examines the systemic impact of the full-scale war in Ukraine on the capacity of regional economic systems to engage the drivers of their development during the post-war recovery. A generalized assessment has been conducted of structural changes in the regions’ economies due to the war. Arguing that the construction of the spatial structure of the new economy will be subject to the impact of the objective characteristics of the current state of the territories, which will determine the allowable range of structural changes in the post-war period, the authors systematize the limitations for economic activity in certain territories, which influence the sectoral structure of regional economies, as well as the new resource opportunities, facing regions and communities and available to be involved in the construction of the new balanced sectoral and spatial structure of the economy. The category “economic landscape” is used to understand the interdependence between sectoral and spatial transformations. Assuming that sectoral and spatial heterogeneity of the economic landscape as a system predetermines the variability of its transformations, which are carried out under the impact of endogenous regularities of the development of the elements of this system, as well as of the exogenous effects, the authors ground the priorities of the strategy, which will promote creating the conditions for optimal engagement of the resource potential of the regions, considering its territorial distribution and spatial features. Such priorities include maximal inclusion of human capital of the territory in productive activity; involvement of new technologies to reveal the local resource potentials and to provide sectoral diversification of the drivers of regions’ economy development; practical elaboration and implementation of differentiated politics and instruments for territories, differentiated by levels of damage and security threats; and strengthening institutional and resource capacity and authority of local communities to create the conditions for local economies’ development.
Multi-Criteria Model to Assess the Potentials of Cat Ba National Park to Develop Tourism Tied to Conservation
For a sustainable tourist destination, a multi-criteria assessment is essential. The assessment results are the basis for managers to make optimal development decisions for the destination. In particular, for the nature-based tourist sites (protected areas, national parks), the assessment of tourism potentials will establish the basis for protecting, monitoring ecosystems, and managing the tourism sustainable development calendar. The Multi-Criteria Method and additional methods were applied to assess tourism potentials as well as to propose conservation measures for Cat Ba National Park in Vietnam. Through the assessment of six criteria (location/accessibility, attractiveness, tourist capacity, environmental sustainability, travel duration, and tourism infrastructure/tourism technology), the results indicate that Cat Ba National Park (Vietnam) is an attractive tourist destination with a good tourist capacity, a convenient location for tourists to move, and a long tourism time of the year. However, Cat Ba National Park is a place where environmental sustainability is still limited; its exploitation needs to be considered along with its conservation, degradation prevention, and ecosystem monitoring.
Copyright (c) 2024 Akademperiodyka Publishing House of NAS of Ukraine https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Assessment of the Impact of Armed Aggression of the rf on the Soil Cover of Ukraine
The purpose of this study is to assess the impact of armed aggression by the rf on the soil resources of Ukraine and to develop a map regarding the impact of military actions on the soil cover at different levels of management: the country, region, district, and territorial community. In this study, we used the following main methods: analysis, synthesis, monographic, abstract-logical, and cartographic. The article introduces a new type of soil degradation: degradation caused by armed aggression (military type), which includes the following types: (1) mechanical degradation; (2) physical degradation; (3) chemical degradation; (4) physical and chemical degradation; (5) biological degradation; and (6) other directions of influence on soils and land plots. For the first time, maps have been developed regarding the impact of military actions on the soil cover at different levels of management: Ukraine, oblast, district, and territorial community. Areas of each type of soil affected by military operations and requiring further examination and control have been determined. It was established that as of March 2023, the largest area affected by hostilities is characteristic of chernozem soils: ordinary chernozems (5.0M ha), southern (2.1M ha), typical and podzolized (1.9 million ha), meadow soils and meadow and chernozem (0.2M ha). Considering the area, chernozems were the most affected; in some areas, the soils were destroyed. The practical value of the obtained results is that their application should contribute to the comprehensive assessment of military soil degradation in Ukraine.
mapping the impact of military operations on soils
Scientific Achievements of the Institute of Geography of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine in 2023
The publication aims to highlight the Institute of Geography of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine's main scientific achievements from research conducted in 2023. Particular attention has been paid to the restoration and development of regions and communities during the war and post-war period.
Atlases: Reasons for Their Creation and First Concepts
Atlas cartography in the 21st century is losing its “flagship” status. Paper atlases have become less attractive in the age of information society. At the same time, electronic atlases either lose out to other cartographic applications or dissolve among them, losing their unique features. To find ideas and meanings for new EA concepts, we explored the history of the first atlases to understand their essence, reasons for creation, and success factors. The article, based on contemporary works by historians of cartography and cultural geographers, clarifies the answers to the following questions: 1) What is the origin of the word “atlas”? Who was the first to use this word to describe a “collection of maps”? 2) Which atlas should be considered the first, particularly the first in the modern sense? Who originated the idea of the first atlas? 3) What was the atlas “Theatrum Orbis Terrarum” concept by A. Ortelius? 4) What was the concept of G. Mercator’s “Atlas sive Cosmographicæ Meditationes De Fabrica Mundi Et Fabricati Figura”?
Monitoring of Boundaries of Immovable Objects of Historical and Cultural Heritage by Cartometric Method
Today, the most effective methods for studying polygonal objects of historical and cultural heritage are cartometric and remote sensing methods (mainly based on the processing of remote sensing data). If necessary, also use archeology, but only after using the specified methods. This work presents the application of the cartometric method using GIS technologies to determine the boundaries of Jewish cemeteries in the village of Gornostaypil, Kyiv region, located on the border of the Chernobyl 30-kilometer exclusion zone, and in the village of Olyka, Volyn region. Today, the cemetery's grounds are not used for burials. In the Soviet period, in the village of Gornostaypil, administrative and economic buildings were built, and in the village of Olyka, partly by the private sector. Both archival and modern cartographic products and remote sensing data served as input data. Thus, all cartographic products are small-scale. Due to the display of objects and the generalization of the borders and areas of cemeteries, they are distorted, so the study of the dynamics of the elevation of cemeteries conditions their use. To display the historical boundaries of objects in the modern urban planning picture, plans of cemeteries on a scale of 1:500 were created using geodetic methods using GNSS surveying.
Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Changes in Ecosystems of Municipal Waste Localisation Areas Using GIS and Remote Sensing Data
The Zdovbytsia municipal solid waste (MSW) dump (the Rivne region, Ukraine) as a case study allows demonstrating informativeness of identifying waste dump sites and the adjusted areas using the spectral characteristics and texture of earth’s covers obtained from the satellite images for the different years. To identify the MSW dump in the surveyed area, direct coding features were considered, which characterized the properties of the object and are directly represented in the images. These are such features as geometric (shape, shadow, size), brightness (phototone, brightness level, color, spectral image), structural (texture, structure) ones. In addition, satellite images reliably identified discharges from the dump area, their directions, areas of unloading, damage to herbaceous cover and other vegetation, etc. The informativeness of studying the dynamics of dump geometrical parameters, the change of its internal “structure,” and the functional changes in surrounding ecosystem elements (first, in forest stands and agricultural lands) is demonstrated. In particular, satellite image data for the period of 2003 to 2021 allow identifying the increase in the number of the Zdovbytsia MSW dump sites at the expense of adjacent forest stands. Thus, in 2003, one site of the dump was operated, whereas in 2019, already three sites were integrated in 2021. The study of the dynamics of the change in the total area of the dump has revealed an increase of approximately 6.25 times (from 6,521 m2 in 2003 to 20,438 m2 in 2021). In addition, the total perimeter along the contours of its stages has increased by more than 3.35 times (from 438 to 1,466 m). The use of satellite images with a spatial resolution of about 0.6 m/pixel will specify cases of unsatisfactory conditions at the dump.
Territorial Identity of the Population of Ukraine: Essence and the Main Factors of Formation
The main factors shaping local forms of national identity—the influence of socio-cultural circumstances and the importance of features such as familiar territory, nature, culture, space, group, kin, self-identity, religious affiliation, family, worldview, and symbols —are revealed. Various types of identity, the main factors in their formation, and changes in mental characteristics under the influence of the war disaster are analyzed. It shows how vital worldview and cultural factors are in developing national identity, the negative impact of forced population assimilation, and manifestations of resistance to aggression and wrongdoing, which lead to the activation and change of national identity.
Spatial Justice: Geographical Conceptualization in the Context of War in Ukraine
As a scientific category, spatial justice requires a detailed and in-depth theoretical and methodological study, as well as empirical evaluation. Since representatives of different fields of knowledge offer their own definitions of spatial justice, it is impossible to have a systematic view of it, nor to place accents that are important for geo­graphers. The purpose of the study is to analyze and summarize approaches to the definition of “spatial justice”, to outline its main dimensions, and to clarify, through an online expert survey of geographers, the essence of the category and the focus of its study in the context of the military situation in Ukraine. The analysis of the literature and the results of an online survey of geographers on the nature of spatial justice in Ukraine revealed that justice is based on the principle of equal opportunities, which is worth striving for, given the objective geographical inequalities in living conditions, access to services, mobility levels, etc. Even though the category of “spatial justice” has been defined by geographers in the past, it is not yet clear what its main dimensions are or what its focus should be. Although the field of spatial justice is most developed in Western countries, its implementation in war and post-war conditions in Ukraine is particularly necessary, especially given the injustice of war, which is exacerbated by its consequences. According to the majority of respondents, spatial justice can be interpreted as the achievement of a state in which the economic life of a given territory is subordinated to, or at least does not contradict, the interests of the local community, creating benefits and opportunities to meet production, cultural, and other needs. In times of war, it is also a fair democratic process of sharing benefits and risks between territories. The definitions chosen by the majority of respondents can serve as a basis for further development of theoretical, methodological, and practical tools to build a platform for implementing the principles of spatial justice at different territorial levels.
Housing Prices as Payment for Ecosystem Services of Urban Green Spaces: case study in Kyiv
The purpose of the study is to analyze the impact of the availability of urban green spaces (UGS) and air quality on the cost of residential real estate in Kyiv. Additionally, it seeks to identify the level of awareness among city residents regarding the advantages of living close to UGSs in areas with relatively clean air and their willingness to pay a higher price for such housing. The QGIS software was used to assess pedestrian and time accessibility to recreational green spaces, and the results are depicted on the corresponding map. The least accessible for everyday recreation is the UGS in the city's central districts, which traditionally have the highest population density and the most expensive residential real estate. The article analyzes the priority criteria for determining housing costs based on the distance from the city center and the real estate's comfort class. The distribution of housing across different tiers and the price range of apartments in new construction in Kyiv during 2015–2021 were also examined. To identify the correlation between the cost of residential real estate in new buildings in the capital and the availability of nearby green spaces, we investigated the spatial distribution of prices across the city's largest residential complexes. The results of spatial visualization, obtained through Voronoi diagrams or Delaunay triangulation, indicate significant disparities in housing costs between the center of Kyiv and its periphery. Logically, residential complexes with the highest apartment prices are located in the central districts of Kyiv and near the metro stations. However, most of these locations lack accessible green areas suitable for everyday recreation. Therefore, there is no positive correlation between housing prices and the presence of UGSs nearby. To achieve the research goal, we also conducted a sociological survey among Kyiv residents across the city's various districts. The survey results indicate that most Kyiv residents do not desire, or are currently unwilling, to pay a higher price for the opportunity to live near a park or forest and breathe clean air, i.e., to enjoy the ecosystem services provided by UGSs fully. The scientific novelty of the research lies in determining the pedestrian and time accessibility of recreational green spaces in Kyiv, identifying trends in spatial clustering of the most expensive residential real estate in central city areas, and demonstrating the lack of a positive impact of the availability of green areas on the per square meter cost of housing in new developments. Additionally, the study reveals a remarkably low willingness among city residents to pay a higher price for the opportunity to access ecosystem services from available UGSs.
pedestrian accessibility of recreational green areas
Rural Settlement Network of Ukraine (the Spatial Analysis of Changes)
In recent decades, with the intensification of urbanisation processes in many countries, there have been numerous notable changes in the size of the rural population, as well as in the number and structure of rural settlements. The purpose of this study is to identify and assess spatial changes in the settlement of the rural population of Ukraine from 1959 to 2021 based on the results of cartographic analysis. The sources of the study are census data for the relevant years (1959, 1970, 1979, 1989, 2001) and subsequent statistical observations. Spatial changes in the regional size and density of the rural population, as well as its territorial dispersion, are traced. Between 1959 and 2001, when the last census was conducted in Ukraine, the number of rural settlements in Ukraine decreased by 13,600. For the first time, the publication highlights certain changes in the characteristics of the rural settlement network, which are new aspects in studying its development.
Methodological Aspects of Classification of Environmental Impacts Caused by russian Aggression in Ukraine
The article examines environmental impact assessment, covering the historical context as well as current risks and threats posed by the war in Ukraine. The author analyzed studies that directly address the impact of military operations on the environment. Particular attention has been paid to regulatory documents approved in Ukraine after 2022, including the Government of Ukraine's resolution regulating the cost assessment of damages, which identified several gaps in the environmental components. The authors identify seven types of impact arising from certain aspects, in particular: by the nature of the factors’ action; by time; by intensity; by territorial scale; by the form of territorial manifestation; by the nature of the consequences; and by the possibility of returning to the previous state. A classification of military impacts (explosions, mining, movement of military equipment, etc.) and their potential consequences for various environmental components has also been proposed. The general methodology is also specified for individual components and adapted to assess ecosystem losses, illustrated using a habitat score.
Specifics of Preparing the Geographic Basis for Historical Mapping
Changes in physical-geographical minds are created not only by the influx of natural phenomena, but by the great world as a result of human activity. And the emphasis of scientists on obtaining old maps was until current research, but the preparation of geographical foundations for the creation of historical maps may not have been completed. This publication is devoted to the nutritional display of changes in the hydrological boundary of the river over historical periods. The research has established a method of analysis to verify the essential evidence of historical cartography, and a method of synthesis allows us to absorb the information obtained during the investigation to clarify the problem seen. Ignoring the power of reconstruction of the landscape for an hour period, which is mapped to result in the depiction of elements of a geographical basis and localization of thematic interest, while historical maps are often a single source of history personal spatial information.
Stages of Formation and Development of Cartographic Research at the Institute of Geography of the NAS of Ukraine
The article presents a retrospective view of the Department of Cartography's cartographic research over 60 years of its operation. The main scientific directions of research, in accordance with the then-existing concepts of the development of science in NASU, cartographic scientific concepts, and the demands of public practice, are highlighted. Based on research, the main stages of the development of geographical cartography at the Institute of Geography are identified, and their filling with research topics and scientific and practical results is highlighted. Three periods of development of geographical cartography were recorded: 1964–1970—formation of the department and execution of works on individual requests of the company; 1971–1990—development of methodological directions of cartographic research and their practical implementation; 1991–2024—the development of cartographic works (individual thematic maps, complex and thematic atlases, the development of interactive mapping, the development and publication of the National Atlas of Ukraine) was carried out from some promising regions and their research.
TO THE 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE INSTITUTE OF GEOGRAPHY OF THE NAS OF UKRAINE
Contribution of Researchers of the Institute of Geography of the NAS of Ukraine in the Field of Nature Management and Sustainable Development
The purpose of the article is to provide a comprehensive analysis of the research results of the Institute of Geography of NASU on the problems of environmental management and sustainable development, as well as to identify the priority and most relevant areas for further development in this area. The paper considers research carried out in the Institute’s departments since its foundation, focusing on the development of a significant number of methodologies and their application. A chronological analysis of the Institute of Geography’s developments in environmental management and sustainable development has been conducted. Their interconnection and priority of the areas on which the developments were focused in accordance with the needs to respond to the challenges and most pressing risks in different years, taking into account the impact of internal and external factors, have been highlighted. The novelty of the work is determined by the analysis of the developments of the Institute of Geography on the study of the consequences of Russian aggression for the population, economy, and nature of Ukraine and its regions, the possibilities of overcoming them to ensure the country’s further progress based on sustainable (balanced) development. It is emphasized that the results of the Institute’s research on the issues of rational nature management and sustainable development have been widely used in the work of the central executive authorities of Ukraine, ministries in particular the Ministry of Community Development, Territories and Infrastructure of Ukraine, the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine, other ministries and agencies, regional state administrations, etc. The analysis of the Institute’s research on improving the methodology of landscape planning and strategic environmental assessment indicates the pioneering nature of this research in Ukraine. The novelty of the work is also determined by the analysis of developments in the study of the consequences of Russian aggression for Ukraine's population, economy, and nature, as well as the possibilities for overcoming them to ensure the country’s further progress based on sustainable (balanced) development.
rational regional environmental management
consequences of Russian aggression for the environment of Ukraine
Sector of Spatial Organization of Society of Institute of Geography: History of Development and Scientific Achievements
The article highlights the scientific activity in the sector of spatial organization of society over the sixty-year period from the hour of its foundation in 1964 and until now. There are three main stages in the development of the sector: from the time of foundation until 1991, when the Institute of Geography was created; from the 90s of the 20th century. Until the end of the first decade of the XXI century; current stage. For each of the stages, the main research topics, scientific developments are characterized, and the leading scientific publications are presented. Particular attention is paid to the connection of scientific topics to the sector with socio-economic processes and the geopolitical situation in Ukraine and the world in recent historical periods. The topics of international scientific projects in which sector scientists participated were discussed. Showing the peculiarity of scientific research to the sector in the minds of wartime.
The Main Scientific Results of Employees of the Sector of Paleogeography obtained during 2017–2024 at the Institute of Geography of the NAS of Ukraine
The article is devoted to the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the Institute of Geography of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. The publication analyzes the latest most important publications by employees of the paleogeography sector in cited domestic and international publications since the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (2017). At that time, the main directions of scientific research by employees of the paleogeography sector of the Institute of Geography of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine were: the study of Quaternary sediments of different ages (including ancient and modern soils); update of paleogeographic databases to obtain comprehensive information about the state of natural components of the territory of Ukraine in the past; reproduction of ancient ecological conditions and natural conditions of human habitation in separate stages of the Pleistocene and Holocene; correlation of paleogeographical, archaeological and historical data (to reproduce the cultural dynamics and processes of development of the modern territory of Ukraine in the Paleolithic, Eneolithic, Copper, Bronze, Iron Age, etc.); study of promising methods and directions of paleogeographic assessment of the natural conditions of formation and accumulation of certain types of minerals.
Institute of Geography of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine
Research of the Geomorphology Sector of the Institute of Geography of NAS of Ukraine in the First Quarter of the 21st Century
The creation of the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences in 1918 marked the beginning of a more than a century-long period of systematic geomorphological research on the territory of Ukraine. In 1961, at the Institute of Geological Sciences of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR, the department of the latest movements of the earth’s crust began work, which was transformed over time into the department (since 2016 - the sector) of geomorphology of the Institute of Geography of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. During the second half of the 20th century, the main areas of fundamental, regional and applied geomorphological and neotectonic research were formed in the Department of Geomorphology. At the end of the 20th century the introduction of geoinformation analysis and modeling methods into scientific research, which became an impetus for the modernization of existing and the creation of new effective methods for researching the relief, relief-forming deposits, the latest and modern dynamics of the near-surface part of the lithosphere. Among the main directions of research of the department of geomorphology in the first quarter of the 21st century should be mentioned the study of spatio-temporal regularities and factors of modern (including anthropogenic) geomorphogenesis, the study of the latest and modern dynamics of the near-surface part of the lithosphere, the development of methods for the detection, ranking and assessment of the neogeodynamic rating of linear morphostructures, applied engineering-geomorphological, ecological-geomorphological and prospecting-geomorphological studies, large-scale geomorphological and neotectonic mapping and geoinformation modeling. Armed Russian aggression, as a result of which large-scale transformations of the relief took place, made corrections in the directions of geomorphological studies of the sector. In the near future, applied geomorphological studies with the aim of post-war restoration of geomorphological systems will be relevant.
fundamental, regional, and applied research
The Main Directions of Modern Research in Department of Landscape Science of Institute of Geography of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine
The purpose of the publication is to reveal the content of modern developments of the Department of Landscape Science in the context of the previous research achievements of the scientific unit. The central part of them is presented within four complementary research areas: geoinformation mapping of landscapes, study of anthropogenic changes in landscapes, landscape planning and nature conservation, and landscape science. The main results of the work in the first of these areas include the creation of a prototype GIS of a landscape map of Ukraine at a base scale of 1:500,000, as well as cartographic support for most of the department’s other activities. The research on anthropogenic landscapes is primarily concerned with the study of the current state and evolution of radioactively contaminated landscapes of the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone; detection of land cover changes using remote sensing data; generalizing works on the methodology of integrated studies of anthropogenic landscapes and a unified classification of natural and anthropogenically modified landscape complexes. Landscape planning is a new research area based on European, in particular German, experience. For 15 years, the Institute of Geography of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, with the participation of the department’s staff, has been adapting it to the conditions of Ukraine by the example of the Cherkasy region. This led to the introduction of the landscape-planning tool into the regulatory framework for spatial planning and to its broader application in other areas of Ukraine. The department’s studies in the field of nature conservation landscape science covered both theoretical and methodological issues (in particular, substantiating the formation of Ukraine’s econetwork and determining approaches to expanding the network of protected areas) and the solution of several practical problems related to many protected areas and objects in different regions of Ukraine. With the outbreak of the full-scale war in Ukraine, the primary focus of the department’s activities shifted to researching the impact of the war on the landscapes of Ukraine and substantiating the best ways to preserve and restore them.
consequences of the military operations impact on landscapes
Europe’s Geopolitical Regions As an Intellectual Construct: the Challenges of Positioning Ukraine
The article presents an analysis of geopolitical regions in Europe as intellectual constructs rather than objective phenomena. It offers an overview of past and present approaches to defining regions of the world and of Europe. The approaches, which scholars employed to define Europe’s outer and inner regional boundaries reveal that geographic regions often reflect geopolitical rationale, which often prevails over objective spatial differentiation of social life. Deconstruction of both past and present approaches to regional representation of Europe shows that there are two alternating intellectual constructs. The first one is a unified (or uniform) Europe with a clear outer boundary. The second one is a model of several Europes (Western, Central (Middle), and/or Eastern). These two alternating representations interchange depending on the current geopolitical situation and may involve various rationales including cultural, religious, economic, or political ones. We stress that a set of imagined geographical boundaries, when becoming a common ground, in their turn appear to be a defining factor for geopolitical events. This is specifically the case for Europe, where a long prevailing idea about “Russian” space, a vague region, which one could define as an area of the Russian imperial claim resulted in spatial limits for the projects of European and Euroatlantic integration over the last thirty years. We believe, that the prevailing way of spatial thinking in the West about this “Russia” region as being beyond Europe contributed to the hardening of the Russian foreign policy and ultimately, to a series of military aggressions, first in Georgia, and then in Ukraine. The war in Ukraine has proven that presently the model of many Europes gave way to the one of a single Europe and a clear geopolitical boundary between the free democratic and the non-free authoritarian realms. Therefore, we stress that there is a challenge for Ukraine to position itself within the European region and make this construct an intellectual common ground, especially among western academic and political elites.
Spatial Manifestation of Migration Flows of Internally Displaced Persons in Ukraine
The problem of occurrence and legal regulation in Ukraine of “internally displaced persons” (IDP) due to Russian aggression against Ukraine has been considered. The scope and particularities of the dynamics of the number of IDPs in Ukrainian regions were analyzed. The question of IDP’s social safety net is raised. First IDPs appeared in Ukraine with the beginning of Russian war aggression in 2014 and active hostility, resulting in the annexation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the City of Sevastopol and the temporary occupation of part of the territory of Luhansk Region and Donetsk regions. Legal regulation for this category of people required the adoption of such legal instruments as the Cabinet of Ministers, Ukraine, Resolution on “Registration of Internally Displaced Persons,” and Safeguards for the Rights and Freedoms of Internally Displaced Persons Act, Ukraine. In the first period (hybrid war), most IDPs migrated within small distances. Displacements were intro-oblast, or those to oblasts that neighbored temporarily occupied territories: the Donetsk and the Luhansk oblasts had concentrated 54.4% of all IDPs; the oblasts that directly neighbored the temporarily occupied territories and the ATO zone (first-order neighbors: Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson) saw 19.0% IDPs; second-order neighbors took 7.5% of forced migrants; Kyiv and Kyiv Oblast were the most attractive territories among all oblasts distant from temporarily occupied territories and the ATO zone (15.7%); the least number of IDPs moved to the most distant western regions of Ukraine. There were 1.4592 million internally displaced persons who registered in said quality as of the beginning of 2021. The full-scale war had caused mass displacements in Ukraine to significant distances. It was 10.1 million Ukrainians who became forced migrants in the first month of the war, inclusive of nearly 6.5 million IDPs. The total number of registered internally displaced persons had become stable in 2023 at 3.5–3.7 million people. The mid-2024 showed the figure of 3.3147 million IDPs. Spatial differences in IDP settlement and dynamics in Ukraine have been established depending on the geography of hostilities, closeness to temporarily occupied territories, and distance from the borderline with the Russian Federation and Belarus. New settlement areas are outlined as follows: south-western, central, northern, capital, north-eastern, eastern, and southern.
Geographical Preconditions and Factors of the Russia-Ukraine Conflict
The article examines the geographical prerequisites and factors contributing to the long-term Russia-Ukraine conflict. The Russia-Ukraine confrontation has been going on in Eastern Europe for several hundred years and has now acquired the existential character of a genocidal war. The modern Russia-Ukraine war, which began in 2014, is considered in this study as one of the stages of a long and multi-level confrontation. In the author’s opinion, this long-running conflict is close to the point of the most complete involvement of resources by the parties to the conflict, that is, maximum escalation. This study aims to determine the role of geographical factors in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The primary objective of this geoconflictological study is to examine the impact of geographical prerequisites and factors on the progression of the long-term and multi-level Russia-Ukraine conflict. In particular, it was established that the deep contradictions underlying this conflict were laid down at the pre-conflict stage. The geographical location of the subjects in the Russia-Ukraine conflict also plays a role. The author emphasizes the significant importance of distance in Russia-Ukraine relations. In particular, the role of these factors in creating the contradictions that formed the subject of this long-term and multi-level conflict is determined. The influence of geospatial, historical-geographical, and political-geographical factors on the overall course of this conflict is analyzed. This article, for the first time, defines the role and significance of geographical prerequisites and factors in the Russia-Ukraine conflict from the research standpoint of geoconflictology.
Assessment of the Hydromorphological State of the Irpin Basin Rivers After the Influence of Military Actions
The study aimed to conduct a hydromorphological assessment of the main types of surface water bodies (SWB) in the Irpin River basin and to determine the degree of change in the hydromorphological characteristics of water bodies in the areas affected by the war. The assessment was carried out based on the analysis of the results of expeditionary research in 2023–2024 using stock, literary, cartographic data, and space photographs according to the “Methodology of hydromorphological monitoring of surface water bodies of the categories ‘Rivers’ and ‘Lake’ adopted in Ukraine” (2019) and from considering the practice of conducting similar studies on other river basins in Ukraine and the EU. It was established that the studied areas belong to the I–IV class of hydromorphological condition; in particular, the II–III class prevails on small rivers, both I–II and IV classes are observed on medium ones, and large ones (the Irpin River in the lower and middle reaches) I–IV class with a slight predominance of II class. The main factors affecting the deterioration of the hydromorphological state are the regulation of flow by ponds and reservoirs, morphological changes in the riverbed and coastal zone, reclamation of hydrotechnical structures, and using floodplains for economic needs. Hydromorphological indicators before and after the impact of military operations were determined to assess the degree of impact of military operations. Changes in the HM condition were established in the destruction and subsequent restoration of bridges and hydraulic structures. The estuary of the Irpin River, where the HM class changed from II to IV, suffered the greatest military impact. Based on cluster analysis, groups of sites with similar hydromorphological conditions and the degree of military influence were selected. Differences in the HM condition in the main morphological zones of rivers—riverbed, coastal zone, and floodplain were evaluated.
Methodological Basis for Mapping the Consequences of Military Soil Degradation at the Level of the Territorial Community
The purpose of this study is to develop a set of digital maps of the pre-war and current state of soil resources at the territorial community level based on the proposed methodological approaches (on the example of the Chkalovska territorial community (hromada) of the Chuguyiv district of the Kharkiv region). We used the following primary methods: comparative-geographical, statistical, relief plasticity, cartographic, geostatistical, and graphic. Maps of the qualitative state and distribution of the leading quantitative indicators of soils in the Chkalovska community based on pre-war data were created. Based on the remote research results on the impact of military actions on the quality of chernozems in the Chkalovska community, types (mechanical, biological) and kinds (aviation and artillery craters, military roads, vegetation burning, anti-tank ditches, support points/trenches) of soil cover damage, and their scales (areas). A map of military soil degradation was developed with GIS by overlaying the contours of the most intensively damaged soil cover on a geographic base. A map scheme of mined and cleared agricultural lands, areas undergoing demining, and the structure of the cultivated fields’ sown areas has been constructed as the basis for forming a network for soil sampling within the community. An online map was created by uploading data layers to the ArcGIS Online platform. Almost the entire territory of the Chkalovska community has suffered some degree of damage from the armed aggression of the russian federation. The most damaged due to hostilities are the most fertile soils of the Chkalovska community—typical heavy loam and light clay chernozems. The feasibility of using the developed digital mapping algorithm, based on map versions, to determine the qualitative state of the soil cover and the spread of areas of soil damage resulting from hostilities at the level of territorial communities has been determined. The developed soil cartographic materials will serve as the basis for effective management decisions regarding post-war soil recovery.
Modern Anthropogenic Hydrosphere of Ukraine
The purpose of the research is to analyze the formation and current state of the anthropogenic hydrosphere of Ukraine with a view to its rational use. Utilized methods include field research, literary-cartographic, collecting and processing statistical information, theoretical generalization and systematization of facts, and GIS technologies. It is shown that active anthropogenization from the Upper Palaeolithic until now has led to the replacement of the natural hydrosphere of Ukraine by the anthropogenic one. Various types of soil melioration and the formation of irrigation, drainage, and irrigation-drainage systems facilitated this process. The construction of numerous reservoirs (1,054) and ponds (49,440), derived reservoirs, and surface and underground water objects added to the problem. The processes of anthropogenization of the natural hydrosphere of Ukraine are examined in more detail, drawing on the example of small (the Silnytsia), medium-sized (the Trubizh), and large (the Pivdennyi Buh and the Dnipro) rivers. It was noted that overloading reservoirs, ponds, and melioration systems of most small and medium-sized rivers have completely lost their natural properties and features. In part, this also applies to large rivers, particularly the Dnipro. Only a 30–40 km long section of the river and its floodplains retained their natural state. Reservoirs account for the rest of its sections. They form an aqua-marsh area with Europe’s largest complex of hydraulic engineering structures. Despite this, landscape scientists and hydrologists continue to study rivers, reservoirs, ponds and, in part, canals individually. The novelty of the research consists of revealing the spatial-temporal features of the transformation of the natural hydrosphere of Ukraine into an anthropogenic one, as well as a thorough analysis of its current state.
‘War Migration’ From Ukraine: Problems and Development Prospects
The article estimates the number and composition of migrants from Ukraine from various sources of information, identifies the extent and causes of information contradictions, and examines the prospects for the return of migrants The importance of different perceptions of the situation by migrants and those who stay in Ukraine is highlighted. The author describes the information support and the reasons for the existing contradictions. The migration prospects are defined in terms of the situation and adaptation of Ukrainians abroad, employment and unemployment, education, family composition, for example, the presence of children, the elderly, and chronically ill persons in the family, socio-economic claims, housing and sources of income in Ukraine, the estimates of current and future situation in different regions of Ukraine. 70% of Ukrainian war women-migrants have a university degree. Most of these women are already working. Their non-return would cause enormous damage to Ukraine’s human capital. The prospects for the return of external war migrants are directly related to the duration of their stay in another country, which, in turn, is a function of the war duration—the longer it lasts, the greater the destruction in Ukraine, and thus the more families lose their housing and jobs. The more migrants find work abroad, the more they adapt to a new life in a new society. Another risk is related to the possibility of a so-called second wave of war migration of their husbands. The role of migration as the main driver of demographic dynamics and labor supply in Ukraine is clarified. The external migration impact on post-war development will be very important. The destruction of infrastructure, business, and the settlement system is characterized by significant territorial differentiation. It will also be characteristic of the post-war structure of Ukraine. The main territorial clusters of post-war recovery are identified. The possibilities and channels of influence on external migration by various actors: the state, local authorities, employers, and civil society—are identified and formulated, considering the characteristics of each cluster.
number and composition of migrants from Ukraine
contradictory data on external migration